NA General Sigdel promoted to Lieutenant General, likely to succeed CoAS Sharma next year

Published On: December 14, 2023 06:10 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Dec 14: Nepal Army (NA) Major General Ashok Raj Sigdel has been promoted to the post of Lieutenant General.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday made a decision to this effect. The promotion paves the way for Sigdel to become the new chief of the national army after the retirement of Chief of Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma. CoAS Sharma is set to retire on September 9, 2024, completing his three-year tenure.

Earlier, NA’s Promotion Committee had recommended the promotion of Major General Sigdel to the post of Lieutenant General.

A senior source claimed that there were multiple attempts to delay this promotion. However, the Prime Minister did not want to get involved in another controversy similar to the Katwal incident.

Also, the PM believed that an organization tasked with threat mitigation, risk management, and crisis management should not be left without a deputy at any time due to the critical nature of its responsibilities. Additionally, the government feared it would incur a heavy cost in terms of procrastination and indecisiveness by prolonging the promotion of General Sigdel, who was recommended by the NA’s Promotion Committee.

Previously, the NA had recommended Tara Dhwaj Pandey for promotion to the post of Lieutenant General following the retirement of three-star general Saroj Pratap Rana, who served as Chief of General Staff (CGS). However, Pandey voluntarily stepped down amid controversy over his date of birth, leaving the position vacant.

A complaint was filed against Pandey with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), raising concerns over his date of birth. The CIAA then sent a letter to the Ministry of Defense regarding the matter, further complicating the promotion process.

The NA's recommendation for Sigdel's promotion to the post of Lieutenant General was followed by complaints filed against him at the CIAA by his rivals within the organization. NA insiders earlier claimed that conspiracies were being hatched against senior officials in line for top leadership roles in the national army, potentially undermining the institution as a whole.